Tax Composition and Economic Growth in Developing Countries

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ph.D. Candidate, University of Mazandaran

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relation between changes in tax composition and long-run economic growth using a dataset of 37 Asian and African developing countries including Iran during the period 1972-2012. To do this, a Pooled Mean Group (PMG) procedure has been used to estimate the impacts of changes in tax component on the rate of growthof GDP per capita. Findings show that a shift from consumption and property taxes to income taxes has a negative association with economic growth. Other results are: (1) there is a strong positive relation between sales and property taxes and long-run economic growth; (2) a shift from income taxes to property taxes increases long-run economic growth more than a shift from income taxes to consumption and sales taxes; (3) value added and sales taxes have a significantly positive effect on long-run economic growth. 

Keywords


 

1- حاجی‌کرمی، مرضیه و اکبرپور روشن، نرگس (1391). بی‌ثباتی مالیاتی و مالیات بر ارزش افزوده. پژوهشنامه مالیات 20(16):140-125.
2- Acosta-Ormaechea S. & Yoo, J.(2012). Tax Composition and Growth: A Broad Cross- Country Perspective (IMF Working Paper, WP/12/257).
3- Afonso A., & Furceri D.(2010). Government Size, Composition, Volatility and Economic Growth. European Journal of Political Economy, 26(4): 517–532.
4- Arisoy I. & Unlukaplan I.(2010). Tax Composition and Growth in Turkey: An Empirical Analysis. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, 59(1): 50-61.
5- Arnold, J. (2008). Do Tax Structures Affect Aggregate Economic Growth? Empirical Evidence From A Panel Of OECD Countries. (Economics Department Working Paper Series, No. 643).
6- Arnold, J. , Brys, B. , Heady, Ch., Johansson, Å., Schwellnus, C. & L. Vartia (2011). Tax Policy for Economic Recovery and Growth. The Economic Journal, 121(February): F59-F80.
7- Barro, R. J.)1989). A Cross-Country Study of Growth, Saving, and Government (National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper, No. 2855).
8- Barro, R. J. (1991). Economic Growth in a Cross-Section of Countries. Quarterly Journal of Economics 104, 407–444.
9- Barro, R. & Lee, J. (2010). A New Data Set of Educational Attainment in the World, 1950-2010 ( NBER Working Paper, No. 15902).
10- Benos, N. (2009). Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from EU Countries (MPRA Paper, No.19174).
11- Bofah, K. (2003). The Impact of Tax on Investment and Business Decisions. Retrieved from: htttp://www.ehow.com/ facts_5910416_ impact-tax-investment-business-decisions.html
12- Easterly, W. & Rebelo, S.(1993). Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth: An Empirical Investigation. Journal of Monetary Economics, 32(3): 417-458.
13- Gemmell, N., Kneller, R. & Sanz, I. (2006). Fiscal Policy Impacts on Growth in the OECD: Are They Long- or Short-Term? (Mimeo, University of Nottingham).
14- Gemmell N., Kneller R., & Sanz I(2011). The Timing and Persistence of Fiscal Policy Impacts on Growth: Evidence from OECD Countries. The Economic Journal, 121(February): 33-58.
15- King, R. & Rebelo, S. (1990). Public Policy and Economic Growth: Developing Neoclassical Implications. Journal of Political Economy, 98(5): S126–S150.
16- Kneller, R., Bleaney, M.F. & Gemmell, N. (1999). Fiscal Policy and Growth: Evidence from OECD Countries. Journal of Public Economics, 74(2): 171-190.
17- Koester, R. B. & Kormendi, R. C. (1989). Taxation, Aggregate Activity and Economic Growth: Cross-Country Evidence on Some Supply-Side Hypotheses. Economic Inquiry, 27 (3), 367–386.
18- Lee, Y., & Gordon, R. H.(2005). Tax Structure and Economic Growth. Journal of Public Economics, 89(5-6): 1027-1043.
19- Levine, R.& Renelt , D. (1992). A Sensitivity Analysis of Cross-Country Growth Regressions. The American Economic Review, 82(4): 942-963.
20- Mankiw, N.G., Romer, D. & Weil, D.N. (1992). A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 107(2): 407-437.
21- Mendoza, E., Milesi-Ferretti, G., & Asea, P.(1997). On the Effectiveness of Tax Policy in Altering Long-Run Growth: Harberger’s Superneutrality Conjecture. Journal of Public Economics, 66(1): 99-126.
22- Myles, G. (2009). Economic Growth and the Role of Taxation (OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 713). Available at:
     http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/gdmyles/pap ers/pdfs/OECDfin.pdf.
23- OECD (2009). Economic Growth and the Role of Taxation-Theory (Organization for Economic Co Operation and Development Economics Department Working Paper, No.713).
24- Pesaran, M. H., Shin, Y. & Smith, R.P. (1999). Pooled Mean Group Estimation of Dynamic Heterogeneous Panels. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 94(446): 621-634.
25- Petru-Ovidiu, M. (2015). Tax Composition and Economic Growth: A Panel-Model Approach for Eastern Europe. Annals of the Constantin Brâncuşi University of Târgu Jiu, 1(2):89-101.
26- Romer, C.D., & Romer, D. H.(2010). The Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Changes: Estimates Based on a New Measure of Fiscal Shocks. American Economic Review, 100(3): 763-801.
27- Schwellnus, C. & Arnold, J. (2008). Do Corporate Taxes Reduce Productivity and Investment at the Firm Level? Cross-country Evidence from the Amadeus Dataset (OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No.641).
28- Slemrod, J. (1995). Free Trade Taxation and Protectionist Taxation. International Tax and Public Finance, 2(3): 471-489.
29- Solow, R.M. (1957).Technological Change and the Aggregate Production Function. Review of Economics and Statistics, 39(3): 312-320.
30- Vartia, L. (2008). How Do Taxes Affect Investment and Productivity? – Industry Level Analysis of OECD Countries (OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No.64).
31- Widmalm, F. (2001). Tax Structure and Growth: Are Some Taxes Better Than Others? Public Choice, 107(3-4): 199-219.